IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group

Dr. Nicole Duplaix is a retired Senior Instructor at Oregon State University’s Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences. She received her master’s and doctorate degrees in Biology and Ecology from the University of Paris-Orsay, France. She conducted her doctoral research on the giant otters of Suriname in 1976, the first time this endangered species had been studied in the wild. She has studied otters and explored river systems worldwide for over 55 years and now focuses on otter research and conservation in Asia and South America. She is the founder and current Co-Chair of the IUCN-SSC Otter Specialist Group – the authority in global otter conservation. She co-founded TRAFFIC in 1973cand created its Washington DC office -- this organization monitors and documents the international trade in endangered and protected species. She first joined the IUCN-SSC's leadership in 1972 and has served in many capacities since then. She is a long-time contract photographer/writer the for National Geographic Society.

Educational Background • Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Wildlife Science. Aligarh Muslim University, India. • Ph. D. in Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, India • M. Phil. in Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, India • M.Sc. in Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, India • B.Sc. in Zoology, Botany & Chemistry with Distinction, Utkal University, India Areas of Expertise • Wildlife biology and ecology • Biodiversity conservation and protected area management • Aquatic ecology and management • Survey of marine mammals and birds • Rescue and rehabilitation of aquatic macrofauna • Coastal and marine habitat management • Environmental Impact Assessment • Wildlife Conservation Policy and Governance issues Select Membership of Professional Societies • IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management • IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas • IUCN Transboundary Specialist Group • IUCN SSC, Red List Authority on Otter Species of the World • Govt. of India Core Group on Antarctica and Southern Ocean Research Lead Author/Contributing Author 1. Inter-Governmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Chapter 2c Nature & Drivers). 2. Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP), Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. In The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment (pp. 127-165). 3. UNEP 2014: The importance of mangroves to people: A call to action 4. FAO 2002: Special Service Agreement: Contribution of mangrove forests to agriculture productivity in east coast of India. Publication More than 80 papers in peer reviewed journals and book chapters on wildlife ecology, aquatic and coastal ecology, conservation biology, ecosystem services, protected area management and policy issues. Countries of work experience Mostly India and short-term assignments in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and wildlife surveys in Antarctica. Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Tel: +91-135-2646210 (Office), 2646313 (Home) Cell Phone: +91-9412075660